Whining Pro Golfers

This morning the British Open [Golf] Tournament opened at Muirfield, a R & A (Royal and Ancient) course just outside of Edinburgh, Scotland. Like and R & A course on the British Open circuit, Muirfield is extremely challenging in many aspects of its layout and overall course conditions.

After completing his opening round of golf, Phil Mickelson, the media hog that he is, began complaining to the press corps about what he felt were unfair course conditions for any professional golfer to have to deal with. He stated that the directors of the tournament need to "let go of their egos and just set up the course so that the best players can win.;" inferring that the R & A had unfairly made the course harder--I don't see how they can do that--in an effort to penalize the players.
Here was my response:

"These professional golfers need to just keep their opinions to themselves and play golf to the best of their ability. After all, they're supposedly the best golfers in the world, right? So start playing like a pro and stop expecting the perfect course every time they tee off. There are hundreds of regular R & A members who play this course every week who likely have no problem whatsoever with the hole setups. What makes the pros so special that they need to have an easier course to play on?

I used to work at a course that was a stop on the Senior PGA Tour. The course was very difficult under normal conditions. Without exception, every year a majority of the players would whine that the setup wasn't easy enough, as if they expected the easiest pin placements, optimum watering conditions, etc. I played that course hundreds of times, and rather than whine about it, I worked on bettering my game to try and beat the layout.

Why pros like Mickelson think they have the right to complain about a course rather than improve their game is mystifying. These guys just need to suck it up and perform their job better. To do otherwise only decreases my respect for these supposed professionals."

Fourth of July

Due to having dialysis today, I just want to sat to everyone,

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

237 years ago, this great Nation was formed; and the world was forever changed by its inception.

I hope that you can take just a few moments to quietly ponder on those incredible events and offer your supplications of thanks to the brave men who risked their very lives in order "to form a more perfect Union."


Have a fun, safe Fourth of July!

Violating Bolivia's Sovereign Rights

Earlier today the plane carrying the President Evo Morales, of Bolivia, was illegally detained and searched by Austrian authorities for fourteen hours in the search for US fugitive Edward Snowden, the man responsible for NSA leaks that show a covert, and illegal surveillance of US citizens by the NSA (National Security Agency) and other Federal Law agencies.
When I read this I immediately responded with the following:

"A Head of State's plane was searched?

What happened to Diplomatic protocols? How would the US Govt respond if a nation decided to search Air Force One on suspicion of espionage or whatever else? There would be outrage! It would be a major international incident. But because it is just the President of Bolivia, it's OK? Seriously?!

How is searching the plane of a Nation's President any different? Protocols were breached, basic respect of a Head of state was missing, the Sovereign rights of Bolivia were violated, and the commenters on here can only make fun of Bolivia and condemn Snowden. President Obama went way beyond his Office by seemingly strong-arming other governments into joining this witch hunt and ignoring the sovereign rights of another country.

How does Congress stand by and watch this abuse of power and not say a word?

I just don't get it."

I posted that commentary earlier this morning and hours later, there isn't a single comment to what I wrote. How can people fail to understand what happened today? If I were the Bolivian Ambassador to the United Nations, I'd be throwing a fit to any other Ambassadors who would listen. This breach of Sovereign rights is outrageous! President Obama has gone too far in his ridiculous quest to "bring to justice" the man who revealed to the American people that they were being implicitly spied on by order of the current Administration.

I am appalled that Congress says or does nothing to reign in this President from his constant abuse of Constitutional protections and international law, let alone international diplomatic protocol.

We have no right to violate the sovereign rights of any other nation. The President has numerous diplomatic tools at his disposal in order to find and detain Snowden. Strong-arming other nations to commit unlawful searches definitely isn't one of them.